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Sprint Cup Series Preview for Talladega

Jeff, Paul and Kevin are ready to tackle Talladega

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series News and Notes

Race: Camping World RV Sales 500Date: Sunday, October 20, 2013Location: Talladega Superspeedway
Richard Childress Racing Leads at Talladega ... Richard Childress began his driving career at Talladega Superspeedway in 1969 and leads team owners for the most all-time victories at the storied Alabama-based race track with 12 wins. Dale Earnhardt visited Victory Lane nine times, while Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer swept the 2010 events at the 2.66-mile superspeedway. Bowyer added to the Welcome, N.C.-based organization's total by claiming RCR's 100th Sprint Cup Series win in October 2011 at Talladega. In 143 starts, RCR also has four pole awards, 37 top-five, 59 top-10 finishes and has led 1,807 laps of competition.
RCR in the NSCS ... In 2,366 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 43 pole awards,104 wins, 447 top-five finishes and 941 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 17.9 and an average finishing position of 15.8. RCR has earned 14 total championships (six Sprint Cup Series championships with Earnhardt in 1986, '87, '90,'91, '93 and '94, five NASCAR Nationwide Series titles, two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series titles and one ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards title) and was the first organization to win titles in NASCAR's three national series.

RCR Charlotte Rewind ... Last weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Harvick captured his 17th top-10 finish of the 2013 season (sixth-place) while Jeff Burton finished 21st and Paul Menard 24th. Brian Scott finished 27th in his Sprint Cup Series debut.
The Collective RCR ... Throughout the season's first 31 races, RCR's Sprint Cup Series entries have earned one pole award with Harvick at Kansas Speedway, and collected three wins with Harvick at Richmond International Raceway in April, the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May and at Kansas Speedway earlier this month. Collectively, the organization has notched 12 top-five and 31 top-10 finishes with drivers Burton, Austin Dillon, Harvick and Menard. Harvick is representing RCR in the 2013 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup and is currently third in the standings. RCR's other two full-time Sprint Cup Series drivers rank 17th (Menard) and 20th (Burton) in the driver championship point standings.
Interactive RCR ... For up-to-date news and exclusive content, visit RCR's Twitter page - @RCRracing - along with the RCR Sprint Cup Series team Twitter pages - @RCR27PMenard, @RCR29KHarvick, @RCR31JeffBurton and driver Twitter pages @KevinHarvick. Information about the 14-time championship winning organization can be found on Facebook at www.facebook/RichardChildressRacing and at www.RCRRacing.com along with official driver pages: www.facebook.com/PaulMenard27, www.facebook.com/OfficialKevinHarvick and www.facebook.com/OfficialJeffBurton.

Catch the Action ... ESPN's live coverage from Talladega Superspeedway begins Sunday, Oct. 20 at 1 p.m. Eastern Time. The race will also be broadcast on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.

Paul Menard
No. 27 Duracell/Menards Chevrolet SS

This Week's Duracell/Menards Chevrolet at Talladega Superspeedway ... Paul Menard will pilot chassis No. 406 at Talladega Superspeedway. This No. 27 Chevrolet SS was previously run this season at Talladega in May and Daytona International Speedway in July. In addition, this chassis was tested at Daytona in January and April.

'Dega Stats ... Menard has 14 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Talladega Superspeedway. His best start of fifth came in both 2008 and 2011 and best finish of second came in 2008. The Wisconsin native has completed 2,241 of 2,664 laps attempted (84.1 percent) at the 2.66-mile track, leading 29 of them.
About Duracell ... Part of the Procter & Gamble Company [NYSE:PG], Duracell has been powering people around the world for more than 40 years. Our products serve as the heart of devices that keep people connected, protect their families, entertain them and simplify their increasingly mobile lifestyles. As the world's leading manufacturer of high-performance alkaline batteries, Duracell also innovates in lighting, renewable power and wireless charging technologies to help consumers live life without limits. Visit www.duracell.com for more information, follow us on Twitter.com/Duracell, and like us on Facebook.com/Duracell.
Race Rewind ... Starting 16th, Menard was running in 12th place when he was involved in a multi-car accident on the final lap of last year's edition of the Camping World RV Sales 500, relegating him to a 28th-place result.

PAUL MENARD QUOTE
Menard's Thoughts on Racing at Talladega Superspeedway: "Racing at Talladega (Superspeedway) is always a crap shoot. The biggest thing about racing there is trying to avoid the inevitable 'Big One.' We had a good run going for us last fall and then we got caught up in a final lap melee. If we can avoid trouble and keep our No. 27 Duracell/Menards Chevrolet clean this weekend, I think we'll have a good shot to run up front on Sunday. With the Gen-6 car it's harder to make moves and passes in restrictor-plate races. We're going to have to use strategy to our advantage, try to start up front and stay up front."

Kevin Harvick
No. 29 Jimmy John's Chevrolet SS

This Week's Jimmy John's Chevrolet SS at Talladega Superspeedway ... Kevin Harvick will pilot chassis No. 432 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in the Camping World RV Sales 500. This RCR-prepared machine is new to the No. 29 team lineup and will run its first competitive laps this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway.
Freaky Good, Freaky Fast ... Jimmy John's will adorn the hood of the No. 29 Chevrolet SS for the final time of the 2013 season when the Sprint Cup Series heads to the Alabama-based superspeedway. Harvick has made 25 Sprint Cup Series starts at Talladega Superspeedway dating back to the 2001 season. Throughout the years, the California native has made one trip to Victory Lane (April 2010). Harvick has also collected one pole award (April 2006), six top-five and 10 top-10 finishes. He has a 22nd-place average starting position paired with an average finishing position of 16.4, has completed 94.8 percent (4,493 of 4,740) of the laps contested and has 156 laps led to his credit.

Find a Jimmy John's Near You ... Jimmy John's, known for fresh, quality products and freaky fast service, was founded in 1983 by a young entrepreneur with two first names, Jimmy John Liautaud. With armfuls of free sandwiches, Jimmy John hit the streets and won over college kids with his irreverent attitude and dirt-cheap prices. Jimmy John's has grown during the last few decades and is now the super cool older brother of the sandwich industry with more than 1,600 locations. Visit www.jimmyjohns.com to view the Jimmy John's menu, find your nearest location, order online or download the Jimmy John's mobile application and enjoy everything Jimmy John's from the convenience of you mobile device.

Supporting the Survivors ... Harvick and RCR teammate Jeff Burton are pairing up with Chevrolet and the American Cancer Society as part of the "Making Strides against Breast Cancer" program to welcome 30 breast cancer survivors and their guests to Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday, Oct. 19 at 9 a.m. Central Time. Each guest will receive tickets to Sunday's Sprint Cup Series race, gift bags from Chevrolet and NASCAR and the opportunity to take a lap around the 2.66-mile track with Burton and Harvick in the official pink Chevrolet Camaro pace car. The RCR drivers will also be available to members of the media before the event begins at 8:40 a.m. CT.
Race Rewind ... After starting from the 21st position and leading the race on four occasions in the 2012 event at Talladega Superspeedway, Harvick and the No. 29 team survived a 25-car pileup on the final lap to bring home an 11th-place finish.KEVIN HARVICK QUOTES
Is there much of a change in drafting with the Gen-6 cars compared to the previous generations? "This rules package is quite a bit different than what we had before. It's harder to stay attached with this car than before, so I think the biggest difference is the cars won't stay attached when you get to another car, it just kind of shoves the front car out there. It's more of an old school type drafting, more like what we saw 10 to 12 years ago."
Is there a perfect strategy for restrictor-plate racing? "Don't wreck. That's the perfect strategy. How you do that I don't know, but I'm hoping we have the luck we need to make sure that we don't have any major issues this weekend at Talladega (Superspeedway)."
Jeff Burton
No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet SS

This Week's No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet at Talladega Superspeedway ... Jeff Burton will race chassis No. 410 this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. This No. 31 Chevrolet will see its first race action after being tested by RCR teammate Austin Dillon at NASCAR Preseason Thunder at Daytona International Speedway in January.

Career Talladega Stats ... This weekend's event marks Burton's 39th start at the 2.66-mile superspeedway and 687th-career Sprint Cup Series race. He has earned five top-five and 16 top-10 finishes along with 154 laps led at the historic track.
Featured Cat Dealers ... Thompson Tractor Company Inc. and Puckett Machinery Company will be featured on the deck lid of the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway.

•Thompson Tractor Company, Inc. is the full-line Caterpillar dealer for Alabama and northwest Florida and the MCFA lift truck dealer for all of Georgia (less nine northwestern counties). The company specializes in the sales and service of Caterpillar products, including earthmoving, construction, forestry and material handling equipment, as well as diesel engines used for electric power generation, on-highway and marine propulsion applications. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., Thompson Tractor provides a diverse array of solutions to their customers in its service territory through four divisions: Thompson Tractor Company, Thompson Power Systems, Thompson Lift Truck Company and The Thompson Cat Rental Store. Thompson has 25 locations and the South's largest fleet of field service vehicles to best serve their customers. For all your equipment and product support needs, please visit www.thompsontractor.com or stop by your nearest Thompson location.
•Puckett Machinery Company is the Caterpillar heavy equipment, rental services and engine dealer for central and southern Mississippi. Puckett Machinery has six full service heavy equipment facilities conveniently located throughout the southern half of Mississippi - in Flowood, Gulfport, Natchez, Meridian, Hattiesburg and Brookhaven. They also have five Puckett Rents Cat Rental Store facilities in Biloxi, Hattiesburg, Jackson, Madison and Meridian, Mississippi which provide quality rental equipment, Cat Compact Construction Equipment, and a wide range of contractor supplies. Additionally, they have two Puckett Power Systems locations in Jackson and Gulfport serving the engine and generator needs of central and southern Mississippi. Puckett Machinery is fully and completely committed to providing higher quality products, more choices, greater expertise, finer support and, ultimately, better overall solutions.

Talladega Walk of Fame ... Fan voting has selected Burton as a 2013 inductee into the Talladega Walk of Fame. This year's ceremony will take place at Davey Allison Memorial Park in Talladega, Ala. on Friday, Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. Central Time. The induction ceremony is free to the public and open to all members of the media. The Walk of Fame is both a focal point saluting NASCAR's greatest names and a tribute to one of racing's brightest stars; the late Davey Allison. Developed in 1994, the Walk of Fame has inducted one active driver and up to two inactive drivers since 1995 based on a fan vote chosen from a ballot of nominees selected by strict guidelines.

Pink Pace Car Rides ... Burton and Richard Childress Racing teammate Kevin Harvick are teaming up with Chevrolet and the American Cancer Society as part of the "Making Strides against Breast Cancer" program to welcome 30 breast cancer survivors and their guests to Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday, Oct. 19 at 9 a.m. CT. Each guest will receive tickets to Sunday's Sprint Cup Series race, gift bags from Chevrolet and NASCAR and the opportunity to take a lap around the 2.66-mile track with Burton and Harvick in the official pink Chevrolet Camaro pace car. The RCR drivers will be available to members of the media before the event begins at 8:40 a.m. CT as will executives from Chevrolet Racing, AMS and ACS.

Race Rewind 2012 ... Burton survived a multi-car accident on the final turn of the race and piloted a battered No. 31 DriveCAT.com Chevrolet to a top-10 finish in the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway.JEFF BURTON QUOTE
Are there any differences in the Gen-6 cars at restrictor-plate events like Talladega Superspeedway? "The biggest thing is the new cars draft differently, but that's about it. My concern at Talladega Superspeedway is missing the big wreck and getting to the end of the race with a clean car and a good finish. It's been a horrendous restrictor-plate year for the No. 31 team. Last year, luck was on our side and we had a top-five average finishing position at places like Daytona (International Speedway) and Talladega and this year, there hasn't been a restrictor-plate race where we haven't been involved in a wreck. It's really frustrating, but the fans like to see pack racing so we will figure out a strategy before the race and go with it."